Video synthesizer

Opening this Thursday at the Film Archive at 5:30pm, an exhibition by 92-year old Wellington painter, sculptor, artist Michael Nicholson.

If that’s not impressive enough this work, The Michael Nicholson Visual Music Project: Stage 3. Op.s 1-4, was originally created on a “Scanimate” machine in Australia in the 1980s; the same machine that early Star Wars, Sesame St and The Electric Company animations were made on. Nicholson worked with the Film Archive to restore the original U-matic tapes and edited them together as ‘Visual Music’ with the assistance of editor Diane McAllen.

Michael Nicholson first came to New Zealand in the 1950s to work at the Elam School of Fine Art. His latest work is inspired by the abstract expressionist paintings of Wassily Kandinsky. It’s hypnotic, fascinatingly beautiful and on display for the next month in the Pelorus Trust mediagallery.

This event launches an Experimental Film Festival too but more about that soon!

Still images: Screen grabs from The Michael Nicholson Visual Music Project: Stage 3. Op.s 1-4